It's official

[tikistitch]

Chris Sanders has moved to Dreamworks:

Sanders joins DreamWorks
Disney animator to direct 'Crood'

DreamWorks Animation has hired "Lilo & Stitch" director Chris Sanders, a longtime Disney vet, to helm its cavemen comedy "Crood Awakenings." The talent coup is reminiscent of the competition for animators in the mid-'90s.
DreamWorks had been developing "Crood" with Aardman, but took it inhouse after its partnership with the British claymation house recently ended.

After a nearly 20-year stint, Sanders left Disney early this year due to creative differences with studio leadership, including John Lasseter, over his movie "American Dog." Mouse is continuing the pic with a new director (Daily Variety, Feb. 9).

Helmer, whose 2002 toon "Lilo & Stitch" was the most critically and commercially successful film for Disney Animation since the '90s, talked to several studios before making a deal with DreamWorks....

"Crood Awakenings," which is about a culture clash between cavemen, has a script by Brit comedy icon John Cleese and Kirk De Micco ("Racing Stripes"). Sanders is rethinking the project, however, and will likely end up doing a significant rewrite.

"We have always loved the premise, and when we finished our relationship with Aardman, we were very interested in keeping it inhouse," said Bill Damaschke, DWA's head of creative production. "We would have been excited to work with Chris on any project. But 'Crood Awakenings' is a high priority for us, and he responded to it."

Too bad for Disney. But, Chris left to work on .... The Flintstones??

Comments

[jeepersjournal.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of surprised by it..... I knew he quit Disney due to them asking him to make changes to American Dog [which they've since essentially turned into an all-new movie], but now he's just taking over Aardman's movie after they quit Dreamworks for similar reasons.

Besides Flintstones, it also conjures riding Ice Age's coattails.

[latin-lunatic.livejournal.com]

Not only did they ask him, they pulled him off the project.